PPP targets APNU+AFC coalition at Bartica rally

Apr 12, 2015 News

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– youths want issues, not personality to be addressed

“They are here to win our votes,” said 26-year-old Sankar, as he awaited the start of the People’s Progressive/Civic Party rally at the Didi Ramnauth Square yesterday. The young man who operates a Trucking service at First Avenue Bartica, Region Seven, intimated during an interview with this publication that “they have to come good to get my vote.”
According to the young man, he was not too enthused about the rally since he has seen politicians in the past make promises only to fail to live up to these.
“Since Donald Ramotar came into power he didn’t come and talk to we, the Bartica people; (Clement) Rohee never come and discuss security with us,” said the young man as he emphasized the dire need for security in the Region that links the Mining area.
“They need to stop talking about each other and talk about the real issues, the developmental issues…fix our roads, give our young people jobs, that’s what young people need,” said the evidently riled-up young man as he voiced his optimism that politicians will one day “stop making empty promises and actually do what they say they will do during elections campaign.”
Sankar ahead of the rally said that he was keenly looking at the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU +AFC) coalition. He believes that the party has a plan that could help move Guyana forward. This publication was however unable to locate Sankar after the more than three-hour long rally to ascertain if he had a change of heart.
Romain Downer on the other hand was prepared to vote “PPP/C” even before the start of the rally. This Party, he said, has shown that it has the stamina to continue Guyana along a progressive path. He however observed that there is need for more “paying” jobs for our young people.
“People must be able to get a salary that they can live on and save some too,” said Downer who operates a boat service and supplements his income by driving a taxi sometimes.
He lashed out at some campaigning politicians who he claims “keep fighting each other down. I don’t like to listen to stupidness. One calling one an ‘anti man’ and calling names is not what I want hear from the leaders,” said Downer as he alluded to a political meeting held in Bartica last week.
The rally last evening, which is arguably the smallest PPPC rally yet for the 2015 campaign, was attended by hundreds, some of whom opted to listen from a distance.
It all started with a lively procession, characterized by the flag-waving and dancing supporters, along First Avenue. They were accompanied by an equally jubilant First Lady Deolatchmie Ramotar, Ministers of Government, including Dr Jennifer Westford who chaired the proceedings.
They were joined by President Donald Ramotar, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, PPP General Secretary and Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee. They, save Rohee, were among the speakers of the rally. Minister or Public Works, Robeson Benn and other Regional officials including Edward Skeete, Stephen Belle and Patricia Matthews, were the others.
In attendance too were Presidential Adviser, Odinga Lumumba and Minister of Labour, Dr Nanda Gopaul, among other regional officials.
In their quest to appeal for the Barticians’ votes, the PPP/C representatives as they took to the podium, sought to take jabs at the coalesced APNU+AFC. There were even some verbal assaults from President Ramotar directed at both the Stabroek News and Kaieteur News as he sought to solicit his audience’s votes.
A main focus from most of the speakers of the evening was to do exactly what one young voter said he didn’t want to hear “…them reflecting on a period when the People’s National Congress was in power and how they failed.”
“What do I care about what happened umpteen years ago? I want to know what they plan to do for me, not what the PNC under Burnham did,” added the young man.
President Ramotar after confidently assuring his audience that his Government will see to the fruition a number of projects, including the realization of secondary education and the further embracing of technology to fast track education, wasted no time in slamming the opposition for undermining too many developmental projects initiated by his Government and even chasing away investors.
He boasted of his party’s ability to cater to the needs of the population from health to housing and even shared with his audience, some of them children at play, that he was not able to own his own home until he was 48 years old.
This is, however, a thing of the past he noted since his government is making the availability of house lots, and by extension homes, to all.
He, as at previous rallies, slammed the tactics of the opposition while in Parliament to stymie evident development projects including the Amaila Fall Hydro project which, he said, has the potential of benefiting all Guyanese.
Benefits will be realized, the President explained, since electricity cost can be reduced by some 40 percent if Government doesn’t have to subsidize the Guyana Power and light’s operation, a process that must continue without the Hydro Project.
He, in turning his attention to the country’s importation of fuel bill admitted to the people that this is by far the highest importation cost incurred by Government. This, he noted, can be easily solved with the fruition of the Hydro project. “We will build Amaila,” said the President to an elated audience. He insisted, “We will make Guyana a power house.”
And given the “realistic” plans that the PPP/C has on its agenda for Guyana the fervent call was for supporters and even non-supporters to vote for the PPP/C come May 11.
Again slamming the APNU+AFC, the president warned the gathering that it is only “criminals, scamps and vagabonds” who choose to change their names. He however added that the acceptable ‘name changers’ are young women who desire to get married.
According to Dr Westford in her appeal for votes to be directed the party’s way on polling day, the PPP/C is prepared to welcome all into its fold. “Come aboard we will welcome you with open arms; we won’t call you grasshoppers,” said Dr Westford as she appealed to non-supporters yesterday.

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